so, please to explain me manhattan nail salon tipping. what does one tip on a $50 service [ e.g., gel polish, which is kind of labor intensive]? a $25 service? i see people tipping less than $5 on $50, which seems measly and others tipping $10, which seems princely.

“One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. 'Oh, no!', I said, 'Disneyland burned down.' He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late.”
~Jack Handey

I tip 20%, I am a regular of a few years standing at the nail place I patronize. I almost always tip in cash but most of the people I have observed adding the tip to their credit card instruct the manicurist to add a 20% tip.

Sardines aren't for sissies.---Frank Bruni------------------------------------------------------------The mistake one makes is to react to what people post rather than to what they mean.---Dr. Johnson-------------------------------------------------------------I want to be the girl with the most cake.

I bought a whole lot of smelts. The largest appear to be about 6" long (maybe a little longer?) but most are 4"-5" from what I can tell. I searched online, and some sites say I should scale them, some don't. Some say gut, some don't.

I don't mind heads, but I don't like lots of fish guts. What do I do? Do smelts of this size need gutting? I'm planning to dust them with flour and fry them.

If you really want to (and you haven't cooked them yet; I realize you might have by now), slit the bellies of the biggest ones and rinse out the insides. That size, the guts might be noticeable. Don't worry about scales or heads.

Cooking: you've got the right idea. I did some a few weeks ago in a tempura batter, and that was great. But seasoned flour works fine. Just fry in batches so they don't stick together.

Something can be unique and still not be great. -- Lex, 13 July 2015 - 3:58 PM

One of the few foods I miss from my days in Detroit. We get tiny fish, "spearing" according to the Blue Moon fishers (that's what I tempuraed). But a big ol' Midwestern mess o' smelts is a wonderful thing.

Something can be unique and still not be great. -- Lex, 13 July 2015 - 3:58 PM

“One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. 'Oh, no!', I said, 'Disneyland burned down.' He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late.”
~Jack Handey

If you had a 45"x45" old linen tablecloth that's filled with holes and stains, how would you re-purpose it whole or in pieces?

eyeglasses cleaning cloth?glass drying cloth?strainer?dustcloth?

Any of these especially good or especially bad uses? Any other swell uses?

make a bag for holding clothes pinsis the linen fine enough to be used as a clothes pressing cloth?

“One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. 'Oh, no!', I said, 'Disneyland burned down.' He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late.”
~Jack Handey

If you had a 45"x45" old linen tablecloth that's filled with holes and stains, how would you re-purpose it whole or in pieces?

eyeglasses cleaning cloth?glass drying cloth?strainer?dustcloth?

Any of these especially good or especially bad uses? Any other swell uses?

make a bag for holding clothes pinsis the linen fine enough to be used as a clothes pressing cloth?

already have a clothes pin bag

very nice smooth old linen, but remind me when I might need a clothes pressing cloth - silk? when else?

for any fiber that you don't want to pick up a sheen from pressing. or cottons with lycra or spandex added

“One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. 'Oh, no!', I said, 'Disneyland burned down.' He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late.”
~Jack Handey

That's big enough for all those uses. The clothes-pressing part will last a long, long time, as can the drying.dusting parts (assuming you wash them when necessary). That still leaves plenty for straining; just make sure it's thoroughly rinsed after each washing, to rid it of detergent residue.

And of course, no fabric softeners, ever.

Something can be unique and still not be great. -- Lex, 13 July 2015 - 3:58 PM